| --- |
| |
| description: Authentication for n8n's public REST API. |
| contentType: howto |
| --- |
| |
| # API authentication |
|
|
| n8n uses API keys to authenticate API calls. |
|
|
| /// info | Feature availability |
| The n8n API isn't available during the free trial. Please upgrade to access this feature. |
| /// |
|
|
| ## API Scopes |
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| Users of [enterprise instances](https://n8n.io/enterprise/) can limit which resources and actions a key can access with scopes. API key scopes allow you specify the exact level of access a key needs for its intended purpose. |
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| Non-enterprise API keys have full access to all the account's resources and capabilities. |
|
|
| ## Create an API key |
|
|
| 1. Log in to n8n. |
| 1. Go to **Settings** > **n8n API**. |
| 1. Select **Create an API key**. |
| 1. Choose a **Label** and set an **Expiration** time for the key. |
| 1. If on an enterprise plan, choose the **Scopes** to give the key. |
| 1. Copy **My API Key** and use this key to authenticate your calls. |
|
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| ## Call the API using your key |
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| Send the API key in your API call as a header named `X-N8N-API-KEY`. |
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| For example, say you want to get all active workflows. Your curl request will look like this: |
|
|
| ```shell |
| # For a self-hosted n8n instance |
| curl -X 'GET' \ |
| '<N8N_HOST>:<N8N_PORT>/<N8N_PATH>/api/v<version-number>/workflows?active=true' \ |
| -H 'accept: application/json' \ |
| -H 'X-N8N-API-KEY: <your-api-key>' |
| |
| # For n8n Cloud |
| curl -X 'GET' \ |
| '<your-cloud-instance>/api/v<version-number>/workflows?active=true' \ |
| -H 'accept: application/json' \ |
| -H 'X-N8N-API-KEY: <your-api-key>' |
| ``` |
|
|
| ## Delete an API key |
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|
| 1. Log in to n8n. |
| 2. Go to **Settings** > **n8n API**. |
| 3. Select **Delete** next to the key you want to delete. |
| 4. Confirm the delete by selecting **Delete Forever**. |
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|
